Despite recent incidents of civil unrest and an uptick in some crime stats during the COVID pandemic, crime - particularly violent crime - has been trending downwards for decades. That said, securing your building or association is always a…
This year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Census takers will not be able to visit neighborhoods door-to-door to request survey responses as they did during previous counts. Instead, Census responses are now being requested online through …
Secure. The word has many meanings. According to Google definitions, it can mean “to fix or attach something to something else. It can mean to protect against threats or make safe. Or it can mean to feel free from fear or anxiety.” Per…
Some days it rains, some days it pours – and some days, there’s a Category 4 hurricane. And while the latter is relatively rare, it can be a true disaster, and any condominium, co-op or homeowner’s association worth its salt should be prepa…
Everyone is right to be concerned with the safety of their communities, whether they live in an area highly susceptible to crime or a sleepy Mayberry-esque hamlet. Condominiums, cooperatives, and homeowners’ associations are no exception; i…
It may be a surprise to some that Chicago is a rather youthful city. Only about 10 percent of Chicagoans are over the age of 65, compared to 13 percent of the entire United States. Forty percent of the city's seniors have a disability, acco…
It's Chicago, baby. We're talking about the City of Wind. The beloved town by the lake. But what if one of the Second City's famous blustery gusts blows a piece of condominium facade onto some innocent passer-by? This is perhaps the worst-c…
The most important aspect of managing a building is keeping it, its residents, and their property safe. In days past, 'safety technology' consisted mostly of well-lit exits, the installation of panic bars and glow-in-the-dark stripping on e…
It’s often said that safety starts at home—and while many HOAs spend lots of money on sophisticated security and access control systems to protect residents and property, others opt for lower-tech approaches to neighborhood security and cr…
While the Chicago area has seen its fair share of disasters, both natural and man-made (they didn't call it The Great Chicago Fire because it was a trifle), its resilient populace has always bounced back with renowned vim and vigor. But, p…